Politics
Türkiye at UN rejects Greek objection over ‘Turkish straits’
Türkiye on Wednesday formally rejected Greece’s objection to the use of the term “Turkish Straits” at the United Nations, describing Athens’ criticism as politically motivated and inconsistent with longstanding international usage.
In a letter addressed to U.N. Security Council President Fu Cong and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the U.N., Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız, said Greece’s reaction to the term during a recent Security Council session was “aimed at serving domestic political interests” and called the move “unfortunate.”
“Türkiye categorically and completely rejects Greece’s unfounded claims,” Yıldız wrote, stressing that efforts to politicize a widely recognized geographical term do not contribute to regional stability or constructive dialogue.
The dispute emerged during an April 29 Security Council meeting on maritime security and the protection of waterways, where Yıldız referred to the Bosphorus and Dardanelles collectively as the “Turkish Straits” while outlining measures Türkiye has taken to ensure freedom of navigation.
The Greek representative objected to the terminology, arguing that the 1936 Montreux Convention does not use the phrase “Turkish Straits” and instead refers specifically to the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus.
In his letter, Yıldız said the term “Turkish Straits” is an established and geographically accurate expression that has long been used in international practice and remains fully consistent with the implementation of the Montreux Convention.
He emphasized that the Bosphorus and Dardanelles are under the sovereignty of Türkiye and noted that states have the authority to determine the official names of geographical areas under their jurisdiction.
Türkiye and Greece are at odds over a range of issues, including disputes in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, airspace and maritime jurisdiction claims, the status of demilitarized islands and the Cyprus question.
Despite periodic tensions, the two NATO allies have in recent years pursued a cautious normalization process through high-level diplomatic contacts, confidence-building measures and cooperation on trade, migration and tourism, while continuing to maintain sharply differing positions on sovereignty and regional security matters.
According to Turkish officials, Greece has for years objected to the use of the term “Turkish Straits” in both NATO and U.N. settings despite widespread international usage.
Yıldız underlined that the term has been used consistently in numerous international documents and organizations, including NATO and the International Maritime Organization.
The Turkish envoy argued that the Montreux Convention regulates passage through the Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara and Dardanelles, but was never intended to standardize geographical terminology.
He said Greece’s efforts to promote alternative terminology could “only be justified by historical aspirations” and would not alter “the legal or political status of the Turkish Straits.”
Türkiye, he added, will continue using the term in line with its sovereignty and jurisdiction rights and expects all U.N. member states, including Greece, to respect what it described as established international usage.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif was quoted as saying that his country may expand its strategic mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia to include Türkiye and Qatar.
Islamabad and Riyadh signed the deal in September 2025 in an outreach to the Gulf and cemented their strategic positioning in the international community. Asif, quoted by Pakistan’s Hum News, said their agreement with Saudi Arabia was a regulation for the future.
“If Qatar and Türkiye become a part of this agreement, it will be a good development,” he said.
“This would mean a new order in the economy and defense to minimize dependence outside the region. This initiative aims to create a broader cooperation platform between like-minded states to reinforce regional stability and collective security. The dependence always exists, and all countries depend on other countries for economic and other reasons. But I believe that this agreement does not counter anyone, and it is ultimately for peace. It is crucial to maintain peace in the region,” he said.
Türkiye already maintains good ties with Pakistan and has boosted relations with Saudi Arabia in the past few years. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed earlier this year that they were exploring the formation of a trilateral defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. A defense alliance is crucial for all countries, especially in the wake of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war that threatened already fragile stability in the region.
Pakistan and Türkiye are among the countries playing an active role in the cease-fire in the conflict. Amid the now-frozen conflict, along with Jordan, Iraq and the Gulf countries, states in the region are reconsidering their security strategies, with Türkiye emerging as a potential key partner in defense and military cooperation.
Fidan previously signaled that rising tensions are likely to fundamentally shape the future policies and strategies of Gulf countries, suggesting they may explore new options, particularly in security and defense industries.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Foreign Ministers Council Meeting in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, on Friday ahead of an informal summit of the bloc’s leaders led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The meeting in Turkistan, regarded as one of the spiritual centers of the Turkic world, will mark the third gathering of OTS foreign ministers in three months, underscoring growing cooperation among member states.
The talks follow a decision adopted at the organization’s 12th summit in Gabala, Azerbaijan, in October 2025, where leaders backed Türkiye’s proposal for more frequent meetings among foreign ministers.
Additional informal meetings were later held in Istanbul in March and on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in April.
Foreign ministers from Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, along with the OTS secretary-general, are expected to attend Friday’s meeting.
Discussions are expected to focus on cooperation in trade, energy security, connectivity, digital transformation, culture and education, as well as current regional developments, particularly the situations in Iran and Gaza.
According to diplomatic sources, the ministers are also expected to sign a decision aimed at strengthening the institutional and digital capacity of the OTS secretariat.
During the meeting, Fidan is expected to stress the importance of closer coordination within the Turkic world and reiterate Türkiye’s support for enhancing the international standing of Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
He is also expected to underline the importance of preserving freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and preventing the strategic waterway from becoming a geopolitical tool amid heightened regional tensions.
Fidan is expected to emphasize continued support for diplomatic efforts involving Pakistan and regional partners to achieve lasting stability, while reaffirming Türkiye’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and contributing to reconstruction efforts.
The OTS was established in 2009 under the Nakhchivan Agreement signed by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan as the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States before adopting its current name in 2021.
Headquartered in Istanbul, the organization has five member states, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and four observers: Hungary, Turkmenistan, the TRNC and the Economic Cooperation Organization.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to hold talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana on Thursday as Türkiye and Kazakhstan seek to deepen strategic cooperation in the energy, transportation, trade and defense sectors amid shifting regional geopolitics.
The visit comes nearly a year after Tokayev traveled to Ankara and reflects growing ties between the two Turkic nations, whose partnership was elevated to the level of an “Enhanced Strategic Partnership” in 2022.
According to a statement from Kazakhstan’s presidential palace, Akorda, the two leaders will discuss the current state and future of bilateral relations during meetings in the Kazakh capital. Erdoğan and Tokayev are also expected to co-chair the sixth meeting of the Kazakhstan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
The talks are expected to focus heavily on transport and energy cooperation across Central Asia and the Caspian region, areas that have gained increasing importance following geopolitical shifts triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Officials from both countries are expected to discuss the development of the so-called Middle Corridor, a trade route connecting China and Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Türkiye.
The corridor has become increasingly important as governments and companies search for alternatives to routes passing through Russia.
Cooperation on Caspian transit transportation projects, logistics infrastructure and energy security are also expected to feature prominently in the discussions. Increasing the volume of Kazakh oil transported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is among the issues reportedly on the agenda.
Defense industry cooperation is also expected to be addressed as Türkiye expands its regional defense partnerships and Kazakhstan seeks to modernize parts of its military and industrial infrastructure.
After completing his meetings in Astana, Erdoğan is scheduled to travel to the southern Kazakh city of Turkistan to attend the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on May 15.
The summit is expected to bring together leaders of Turkic states to discuss regional security, developments in the Middle East and broader international issues. Erdoğan is expected to deliver messages related to regional stability and geopolitical cooperation among Turkic nations.
Bilateral relations
Economic ties between Türkiye and Kazakhstan have expanded steadily in recent years. Official figures show nearly 4,000 Turkish capital companies currently operate in Kazakhstan, particularly in construction, infrastructure, mining, energy and services sectors.
Turkish contractors have played a visible role in Kazakhstan’s modernization projects, especially in Astana, while both governments continue to pursue higher bilateral trade targets and broader investment cooperation.
The two countries also maintain close cultural and educational ties. Ahmet Yesevi University in Turkistan is considered one of the main symbols of academic cooperation between the countries.
More than 12,000 Kazakh students are currently studying in Türkiye, according to official figures, with additional students receiving scholarships under Türkiye’s government-funded education programs.
Tourism between the countries has also increased. Nearly 863,000 Kazakh tourists visited Türkiye last year, while around 130,000 Turkish tourists traveled to Kazakhstan during the same period.
Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two nations were formally established in 1992.
Turkish authorities detained 324 suspects in operations targeting the Daesh terrorist group across 47 provinces, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.
According to a ministry statement, the raids were carried out in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), police units and public prosecutors. Operations took place in several major cities, including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.
Authorities said the suspects included individuals wanted by security forces, people accused of providing financial support to the terrorist group and others alleged to have previously operated within group networks.
Security forces also seized one handgun, four rifles, 122 rounds of ammunition, digital materials and financial assets worth TL 9.67 million (approximately $214,000).
Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace, as the group faces nationwide raids, and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013.
Officials said counterterrorism operations targeting Daesh networks and financing structures will continue across the country.
On April 7, suspected Daesh members fired at police officers near a building housing the Israeli Consulate. One assailant was killed, and two others were injured in the ensuing shootout, while two police officers were slightly injured. Although Daesh was not officially named as behind the attack, following the incident, authorities launched a nationwide sweep against the terrorist group and detained dozens of suspects. Last December, Daesh members killed three Turkish police officers during an operation targeting a house where suspects resided in the northwestern city of Yalova.
The U.N. is likely to launch a fresh push to resolve the decades-old Cyprus issue before the term of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expires at the end of the year, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides said.
Christodoulides, who represents the Greek Cypriots in talks with Turkish Cypriots, made the comments in an interview on Tuesday night with a local station, Alpha TV.
He told the channel that he had been informed that Guterres was encouraged by discussions he had had with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan in March.
“We might be close to developments, which may lead to a peace plan,” Christodoulides said.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 when Türkiye intervened to safeguard the rights of Turkish Cypriots in parts of the island’s north following a Greek-backed coup and Greek Cypriot violence.
Greek Cypriots run the south, while Turkish Cypriots administer the north and a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone between them.
The last meaningful negotiations collapsed in 2017 amid disagreements over Türkiye’s role in a future federated island with two self-governing regions linked by a strong central government.
In 2004, Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations peace plan, saying it did not address security concerns and the long-term viability of the proposed reunified state, or the property rights of tens of thousands of internally displaced people.
Turkish Cypriots, however, had accepted the proposal.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said Wednesday that Türkiye and Belgium are aiming to expand cooperation across trade, defense, energy and digital transformation following talks in Ankara with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot.
Yılmaz said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal that he met Prevot and his delegation at the Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital as part of the Belgian Economic Mission to Türkiye led by Queen Mathilde.
“We are pleased that our relations with Belgium, our NATO ally and partner, are gaining new momentum in areas such as trade, energy, connectivity, defense industry and digital transformation,” Yılmaz stated.
He noted that bilateral trade volume reached $9.2 billion in 2025 and said both countries aim to increase the figure further in the coming years.
He said both countries are determined to strengthen defense cooperation within the NATO framework while deepening joint work on “strategic issues such as the Middle Corridor and energy security.”
He also emphasized the importance of “a constructive, inclusive and strategic approach” in Türkiye-EU relations.
Yılmaz further expressed hope that meetings held during the Belgian Economic Mission, described as the largest Belgian delegation visit to Türkiye under Queen Mathilde’s leadership, would open the door to new partnerships and mark “a new turning point” in relations with both Belgium and the EU.
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